Armed with info

The subject of sex offenders doesn't come up often in conversation, until the subject hits close to home.

Recently, state Rep. Lew Evangelidis met with a group of Holden residents who were concerned that a sex offender may be living in their neighborhood. In the aftermath of that meeting, he realized there exists a lack of understanding about how the sex offender laws, including the Sex Offender Registry, operate in Massachusetts.

To ensure that many of those questions are answered, Evangelidis is hosting a forum on February 6 in Holden so people can gain the necessary expert information about a difficult subject.

Public outcry about sexual predators ebbs and flows with the headlines, and the recent recovery of two kidnapped boys in Missouri, one who had been abducted four years ago, has again heightened fears about offenders in our midst.

The Dateline NBC show "To Catch a Predator" continues to nab men who believe they are arriving at an apartment to meet an underage girl or boy for sex - a meeting they've arranged online - only to be arrested by police. Amazingly, several of the arrestees admit they've seen the show, yet the compulsion is so strong they still risk incarceration and national humiliation by showing up at the house.

As Evangelidis said in an interview with The Landmark this week, "How does the system work when the [offenders] by their own admission say they're incurable?"

Evangelidis has proposed two notable amendments to the sex offender laws that are meant to increase protections for citizens. One would mandate that Level Two offenders - whose crimes can include rape, assault and abuse of children - be posted online just as are Level Three offenders, who are considered the most likely to re-offend. As the law now reads, a resident can only obtain information on Level Two offenders through an application form filed with the local police or the Sex Offender Registry Board.

The second amendment would ensure that a sex offender who appeals the level of his or her classification, remains on the registry even while the appeal is heard. Currently, the offender is not included on the registry until the appeal is decided, which can take months.

Both proposed amendments are sure to ignite debate on Beacon Hill, and it's an essential discussion that may speak volumes about the level of protections the state is willing to offer its citizenry.

The forum about the Sex Offender Laws willbe held February 6 at 7 p.m. in the Holden SeniorCenter. All residents from the Wachusett area areinvited. Speakers will be Robert Baker, Directorof Operations for the Massachusetts Sex OffenderRegistry Board, and a representative from theHolden Police Department.